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| Europe |
| 'Gladiators' Mark Rome's Anniversary |
| 2004-04-19 |
| ROME (AP) - Hundreds of fans of ancient Rome dressed up as gladiators and marched by the ruins of the forums Sunday to mark the birthday of the city, which legend says was founded on April 21 2,757 years ago. The actual anniversary is Wednesday, but the "gladiators," armed with spears and sporting helmets, turned out to stroll down Via dei Fori Imperiali, which is closed to traffic on Sundays. The boulevard leads to the Colosseum, Rome's monument which hosted bloody gladiatorial combat to the thrill of the masses in the city's ancient days of glory. Legend has it that Rome was founded by twin brothers, Romulus and Remus, on April 21, 753 B.C. "I'm retired military from the United States Air Force and this is my hobby," said Dan Hight, from Utah and dressed up as Vespasian, the emperor who began construction of the Colosseum during his rule from 69-79 A.D. Others dressed up as Roman senators and legionaries. Leading the marchers was a young woman dressed a vestal virgin, a select group of young girls whose duties included tending the sacred fire. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #5 I've always had a soft spot for Vespasian, one of the best of the emperors. He was a no-nonsense kind of man, also one of the few emperors who died in bed. His last words were "Ah, me! I fear I'm becoming a god!" |
| Posted by: Fred 2004-04-19 10:24:06 PM |
| #4 According to legend, Romulus & Remus were suckled by a she-wolf (a-la Kipling's Mowgli), which must do something to one's psyche. Because Romulus killed Remus (a-la Cain/Abel). Rome's beginnings appear to have influenced its legacy. |
| Posted by: Anonymous4052 2004-04-19 2:02:34 PM |
| #3 Legend has it that Rome was founded by twin brothers, Romulus and Remus, on April 21, 753 B.C. When shown the plans of Rome, Remus was reported to remark: "Wow! This could take ALL DAY to build." Accounts differ as to Romulus' reaction. |
| Posted by: eLarson 2004-04-19 10:43:53 AM |
| #2 Actually, Wednesday is Rome's 2,756th birthday. There was no Year 0, so you have to subtract one when doing the arithmetic. And Vestal Virgins served for 30 years, so they weren't necessarily "young" women. They were recruited young, like 12-14, and could retire and marry -- or sleep around, I guess -- when their 30 years were up, but some of them were obviously over 40. And if any of them were found not to be virgins before the 30 years were up, like if they turned up pregnant, as happened now and then, they were dropped into a dark chamber below the street and left there to die of starvation. The Younger Pliny was witness of one such scene, and mentions that the poor woman's wailing could be heard for days. |
| Posted by: Dr. Weevil 2004-04-19 6:43:36 AM |
| #1 Leading the marchers was a young woman dressed a vestal virgin.. Something you'd be hard-pressed to find in L.A. ... |
| Posted by: Pappy 2004-04-19 12:48:34 AM |